Accreditation programs

Learn how recreation and leisure experiences can be used to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, illnesses and other limitations. One of a few four-year degrees of its kind, Dalhousie's Recreation program was the first to be accredited in Canada by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. You'll be prepared to write the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) exam to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS).

Dalhousie’s Recreation Management program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Park, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT). COAPRT accredits baccalaureate programs in parks, recreation, tourism, sport management, event management, therapeutic recreation, and leisure studies offered at regionally accredited institutions within the United States and its territories, and at nationally accredited institutions in Canada and Mexico. Our Recreation Management program is the first program of its type to be accredited in Canada.

To maintain accreditation, we must demonstrate annually that seven sets of standards are met, providing assurance of the quality of our Recreation Management program. Of the students graduating from Dalhousie’s Recreation Management program in 2023:

• 90% did so within six years of beginning their education at Dalhousie
• 0% were accepted to graduate school programs
• 88.9% of students were employed following graduation

More detailed evidence of the quality of the Recreation Management program and academic achievement of the program’s students and graduates can be found in our annual accreditation reports to the Council for Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT)

· 2023 Annual Report

· 2022 Annual Report

The following statement is required as part of the COAPRT accreditation: Important Information Regarding Degree Mills: Please watch this important video regarding degree and accreditation mills. According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): "Degree mills and accreditation mills mislead and harm. In the United States, degrees and certificates from mills may not be acknowledged by other institutions when students seek to transfer or go to graduate school. Employers may not acknowledge degrees and certificates from degree mills when providing tuition assistance for continuing education. “Accreditation” from an accreditation mill can mislead students and the public about the quality of an institution. In the presence of degree mills and accreditation mills, students may spend a good deal of money and receive neither an education nor a useable credential." Read more on CHEA's website.